If a child has been unvaxed until 2 ..

[bluejaunte]

which vaccines are for illnesses that actually target kids of that age and older? My (possibly wrong) understanding is that a lot of the scary illnesses they vax against (like pertussis) target babies much younger than that.

We're in NY, so I guess if I decide to send him to public school -- still deliberating! -- he'll have to get more vaxes than I want him to. How do all you anti-vax moms avoid that? Just homeschool?

[bbrandonsmom]

You should be able to get an exemption.

[Marnica]

File exemptions...although NY is tougher than most states, but not impossible..there are many mamas here from Ny that file exemptions.

[DocsNemesis]

Yes, some of the vaccines are for younger children. It doesn't mean your child couldn't get it, but the risks are much smaller at an older age for those particular diseases. This is why they arn't on the CDC schedule at all over 5 years. Other's require fewer doses at older ages and still others stay the same.

I live in Washington and they allow both religious and philosophical exemptions. My eldest is fully vaxed but my 6 year old is not-she's missing all the ones not on the schedule after 5 years and chicken pox/flu. I think she has all the others. Anyway, because of this and the fact that you have to pick all or nothing, I lied and told the school she wasn't vaccinated at all. I signed the philosophical exemption.

I also discovered when I was filling out paperwork for my ds to start school several years ago, that they actually force the vaccines not on the schedule after age 5 if they are vaccinated. They had me get my son one of the *baby only* vaccines-even if he were 8 when he started school, they told me they have to have ALL the blanks filled in. So idiotic. (My dd is almost 7 and just started school this year, as she was homeschooled for K. They confirmed again that I'd HAVE to get all those shots)

[ZoeyZoo]

It's not that the risk goes away completey. In several of the diseases they are just more severe under certain age groups. For example pertussis is more likely to lead to hospitalization before 6 months. Chicken pox is more dangerous before 1. Some diseases I don't believe are much of a threat to any kids. For example tetanus tends to affect the senior age bracket the most. Others according to the CDC Pink Book don't really occur in the US anymore.

For school I plan to just file the exemption my state allows. Luckily there is something in my state's laws where they have to take them in both public and private schools. In some states it can only be enforced in public schools.